Spanish Style Chicken and Rice (pg. 111)

This was my second time making this one and my husband and I both love it!  It is so good and so simple.  The only downside to this recipe is that the saffron (we bought threads, not powder) is expensive.  It's been a while since we bought it so I do not remember the exact price, but it was not cheap (I want to say between $10-15 for 1 gram of it).  But, at least "a little (pinch) goes a long way" so you are not having to buy it each time you need it.  I have never used saffron and wondered why it was so pricey.  I read the label on the jar we bought and this is what is says "Threads of Saffron are the gold of spices.  Precious and rare, Saffron comes from a lovely violet crocus.  Only three stigmas, or threads, are hand picked from each flower.  7,500 flowers are needed to produce one pound of Saffron!"  Interesting!  (if you're ever bored, you can find some more interesting tid-bits about it on Wikipedia.  am I a nerd for doing that?  LOL)

Obviously, the first time we made this we used the saffron (that's when we bought it and the only reason we even own saffron). The second time we made it, neither of us could find the saffron so I left it out. Needless to say, since it was not cheap, we were not happy about it's mysterious disappearance.  I thought that I must have accidentally thrown it away but could not fathom why or how I would have done that!  (oddly enough, I just found it today....weeks later....in the spice cabinet where we had both looked!) Anyway, having made it both with and without the saffron, I have to say that the saffron does give it an extra "something" and we definitely preferred it with the saffron! (but, if you don't want to spend the money on the saffron, it still tastes good without it).


(yes, my chicken has already been partially eaten in this photo)

Here's the brand we bought at HEB...

and the little bag inside that contains the "precious" threads!